Monday, 12 June 2017

Ramadan 2017: What We've Been Eating For Iftar So Far.

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

How are you on this 17th day of Ramadan 2017?

I hope you're happy, well and making the most of this blessed month before it ends. A quick post from me today about what we've been eating for the evening Iftar meal so far. I hope it gives you some inspiration for your remaining Iftars.

Let's start with a drink that is a firm favourite in our house at Iftar time. It's my creamy mango milkshake filled with the sweetest Pakistani mangoes and creamy Cornish ice cream. My Mother has been adding ice to it this year to keep it extra cold and refreshing when breaking the fast.

Next, fruit! Another must at Iftar time and we usually serve ours on a platter along with the traditional dates which are usually eaten first as was the practice of the Prophet Muhammad (saw). The sugar rush from the dates are much needed after a long fast!

Chicken Night: Bengali-Style Masala Roast Chicken - This was so delicious. I was really craving it one night and just had to make it again. The intense masala sauce and tender chicken went so well with soft boiled rice.

Pizza Night: My Favourite Veggie Pizza - This is a definite Summer favourite of mine. I love topping my homemade base with any vegetables that I have in the fridge and always find that the end result is so much lighter than its meaty counterparts. This time, I used bell peppers, sweetcorn and baby spinach.

The buns were spread with a spiced fresh coriander and garlic yoghurt before being topped with slices of cooling cucumber.

Then, on went the cumin Sichuan lamb patties. I broke mine up so that they would fit better.

And, on top of the lamb patty went caramelized red onions and bell peppers. To finish, more fresh coriander.

Ready for a burger Iftar!

Vegetarian Night: Hara Bara Kebabs with Burnt Lime Raita - These light veggie kebabs were chock full of fresh spinach, peas and potatoes. We ate them dunked into a burnt lime raita which was made by frying lime wedges in a little oil until sticky and charred. The juices from those limes was squeezed into yoghurt and the whole thing was seasoned with salt, honey and nigella seeds.

Sandwich Night: Egg Mayonnaise Sandwiches - Oh my gosh, these were just something I had to make one night for Iftar. I just wanted something cold, creamy and sandwiched between two slices of bread. These sandwiches were really simple and made with boiled eggs, mayo and seasoning. I wrapped them up in clingfilm to keep them from drying out before Iftar time.

Pitta Night: Chicken Pittas with Spicy Garlic Sauce - Again, something that I was really in the mood for one day were these pitta sandwiches. I used foil to help me keep my pittas together because as we all know, me and those supermarket pittas do not get along.

The sandwiches were filled with sliced chicken which had been spiced with cinnamon, allspice and oregano among other things. Along with the chicken, we had lots of crunchy salad (my fave were those pickled peppers) and my favourite spicy garlic sauce which I like to make with both yoghurt and mayonnaise.

Fish Night: Spicy Battered Fried Fish - This is another firm family favourite. We love our battered fried fish and our spices so put the two together in this recipe to make fish that may put your local chippie out of business. If you prefer a simpler fish, leave the spices out and just use salt and pepper.

Sandwich Night: Grilled Chicken Wrap with Caramelised Onions - These were so good! The chicken was simply flavoured and cooked. We wrapped it into tortilla wraps with caramelised onions, Cheddar and a spiced cream cheese with pickled jalapenos (cream cheese recipe is here!) To cook, I pulled out my George Foreman grill and grilled the wraps until toasted. So good!

Vegetarian Night: Cauliflower Cheese and Chilli Stuffed Roti + Mysore Lemon Pickle - Think a quesadilla type situation but made with a homemade white roti dough. The cauliflower was spiced with green chillies and cumin before being finished with Cheddar. It was cooled and folded into the dough which was then toasted until crisp. We served them with a homemade spicy lemon pickle and yoghurt which my Mother loves flavouring with red chilli and cumin.

Pakistani Food Night: So much good food here! Let's discuss each dish on its own!

Spicy Lemon Roast Chicken with Gravy - Literally one of my favourite roast chicken recipes ever! The lemon juice is what makes it so good so don't skimp and please try your best to squeeze fresh lemons.

Pea Pulao - To go with the roast, we had a simple pea pulao. Lightly spiced with whole spices like black cardamom and cumin seeds, the combination of onion rice and sweet peas is so good!

Vegetable Pakoras - A must make at least once during Ramadan, we made these ones with potatoes, onions and cauliflower.

Vegetarian Night: Gol Gappay / Pani Puri - My first time ever making this classic street food snack! The crispy, hollow pastries are tapped to make a hole in them before they're filled with chickpeas, potatoes and a spicy water. Sounds weird but the taste explosion that explodes in your mouth cannot be beaten.

Curry Night: Chicken Kofta Curry - A really popular recipe with you guys, this is another family favourite. The soft chicken meatballs, boiled eggs and spicy curry sauce went really well with both rice and crispy parathas from the freezer!

Vegetarian Night: Fresh Matar Paneer - My first time ever cooking and tasting paneer! I'm still not sure if I like it. This light curry was made with a simple no-onion spiced tomato garlic sauce and packed full of summery green beans, mangetout and peas.

6 comments

That is a lot of good food, Alhamdulillah... this Ramadan, I have been going really low on cooking thanks to the intense heat in the kitchen, making it really uncomfortable. But thankfully, the folks at home have been very cooperative and I am taking it easy... :) Love seeing your posts, feels like we are being served the scrumptious food...

Lovely food sister, may Allah reward you for sharing these delicious recipes. Sister I am thinking of making the biscoff cheesecake for rais, is it possible for you to upload the recipe for this please.

ASSALAMU ALAIKUM + WELCOME!

I'm Faatimah and welcome to This Muslim Girl Bakes. Here you'll find step-by-step photo recipes for both sweet and savoury halal dishes. I love putting my halal spin on many different world cuisines. On this blog, you'll find plenty of recipes for busy weeknights, slow weekends and everything in between. There's also plenty of traditional Pakistani food as that is what I was brought up on - the kind your mother used to make but you were always too scared to try.. Read more..

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Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu! Samosas are a classic Pakistani street food but are also incredibly popular at home. The ...

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